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Rajeem Shocks Falmouth Field

Clive Brittain pulled off another big race surprise when his 3-year-old filly, Rajeem, landed the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation Falmouth Stakes (Eng-I) at odds of 50-1 at Newmarket on Wednesday.

The Falmouth Stakes, which highlighted the opening day of the July Festival at Newmarket, boasted a small but select field of fillies and mares. The reigning queen of the Falmouth was Soviet Song, who was going for a hat trick in the race, having won the 2004 and 2005 renewals. She was coming off of a two length score in the Windsor Forest Stakes (Eng-II) at Royal Ascot in June.

Nannina and Peeress, both Group I-winning fillies owned and bred by Cheveley Park Stud, were considered the main threats to dethroning Soviet Song. Nannina, trained by John Gosden, had won the Coronation Stakes (Eng-I) in her last start, defeating Rajeem by four lengths. Peeress, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, had finished a troubled fourth in the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-I) on June 20, but had claimed top honors in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes (Eng-I) in May.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy took Rajeem to the front early in the race, and was able to establish a dawdling pace. The daughter of Diktat kept a leisurely gallop throughout, and had plenty in the tank to hold off Nannina by ¾-length. Musicanna was another ¾-length back in third, just edging out Peeress.

Soviet Song traveled near the rear of the pack throughout the race, and never showed her usual potent turn of foot. She finished sixth.

Clive Brittain told reporters afterwards, "She was 50-1 and 'have a go Clive' trained her, so people will try and pull the race down, saying they didn't go fast enough, but she still has won. When I get a good one, I know what to do and how to plan things. I would take anybody on, but she will probably go for the Nassau (Stakes, [Eng-I]) now."

Sander Camillo Rolls in Cherry HintonSander Camillo looked very impressive when destroying a good field of 2-year-old fillies in the Chippenham Lodge Stud Cherry Hinton Stakes (Eng-II) in the race prior to the Falmouth Stakes.

The Jeremy Noseda-trained filly stormed home under Frankie Dettori to win by five lengths over Alzerra, with Gilded a neck back in third.

Owner Sir Robert Ogden told reporters, "It has taken me 20 years to get where I am in jumping, but it looks as if I have already reached a different level on the flat with this filly. I suppose I will increase my interests on the flat now, but that does not mean I will be cutting back on jumping."

Sander Camillo is a bay filly by Dixie Union, out of Staraway, by Star de Naskra.